


A Bit of Fluff

by adrianna_m_scovill



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 08:06:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17679611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adrianna_m_scovill/pseuds/adrianna_m_scovill
Summary: By request - short and fluffy :)





	A Bit of Fluff

Benson dropped her keys and purse onto the table inside the door. “How’d you get in here?” she asked without a greeting.

“Bribed your landlord,” Barba answered without looking up from… _whatever_ he was doing at the stove.

“That’s illegal.”

“Good luck finding someone to prosecute,” he said.

“I could have Stone do it.” She hung her jacket on the coat rack and unbuckled her holster.

“Ouch,” he said with a laugh, glancing over at her before flipping off the stove burner.

“Barba.”

“Yes, Lieutenant?”

“Where’s my kid?”

“Short, curly-haired guy? I sent him out for groceries. Don’t worry, I tipped the driver in advance.”

“Did you ask him to get milk?” she asked. Before he could answer, she said, “Why are you making popcorn? It’s…dinner time.” She eyed the glasses on the counter beside the giant bowl of popped corn. “And…are those root beer floats?”

“They are, but the ice cream’s going to melt if you don’t hurry,” he said, tipping the pan over the bowl to drizzle melted butter onto the popcorn.

“Hurry and what?” she asked. She kicked off her shoes with a grimace.

“Change into something more comfortable,” he answered with a break of barely-suppressed laughter in his voice.

“ _You_ look pretty comfortable,” she remarked, glancing over his sweat pants and t-shirt as he turned to set the pan in the sink. “Made yourself at home, I see.”

He cast her a quick smile over his shoulder and gestured toward the bedroom with his chin. “Seriously, hurry up,” he said before turning to grab a sponge.

She sighed. “Do you have any idea what kind of day I’ve had?”

“Yes, actually,” he answered, and she smiled at his back as he set about quickly washing the pan. She could already feel some of the tension leaving her shoulders.

“Fine, I’ll change—but I’m going to check those floats and I’d better not find you gave yourself an extra scoop of ice cream.”

The soft sounds of his chuckles followed her into the bedroom. She looked at the bed; he’d laid out her fluffy fleece pants and softest sweatshirt, and there was a single Hershey’s Kiss resting on the shirt. She released a long, slow breath, letting the scent of popcorn and the sounds of Barba in the kitchen and the familiarity of _home_ settle over and into her.

She unwrapped the chocolate and ate it while she stripped out of her clothes and pulled on the pajamas. She went into the bathroom and made quick and unceremonious work of scrubbing off her makeup. Without it she was pale, with noticeable smudges beneath her eyes and creases of stress bracketing her mouth. The gray in her hair was spreading, getting much easier to spot; she hadn’t caught up to Barba, yet, and the thought made her smile.

She turned off the light and walked out into the living room. He was sitting on the couch. The enormous bowl of popcorn, and the two root beer floats, were on the coffee table along with the TV remote. He looked up and smiled at her—his softest smile, the one he held in reserve for intimate moments like this, the one that was meant only for her. He had so many smiles, so many expressions, and every one of them served a purpose. She knew them all, she loved them all, but this was her favorite.

She walked over and stood in front of him, looking down at the gray in his hair and the flecks of gold in his eyes and the tilt of his lips as he stared up at her. He lifted his hands and rested them on her hips.

“You don’t like fleece pants,” she said.

“I don’t like them on me,” he corrected. “Too staticky. But I do love you in a bit of fluff,” he added with a crooked grin that burrowed itself into her chest and eased the heartache of the day. “Come on,” he said, turning to draw one leg onto the couch. He kept a hand on her hip as she turned and settled into the cushion between his legs. She leaned toward him and pressed a kiss to his lips, closing her eyes as she felt his hand rub lightly at her back.

Then she shifted, lifting her legs onto the couch and leaning back against him. He kept one foot on the floor, and his other leg was between her and the back of the sofa. “This can’t be comfortable for you,” she said, but she was already settling against his chest, into his warm embrace.

He pulled her hair aside so he could duck his head and press a soft kiss to the curve of her neck, and she sighed, leaning her head back against his shoulder. “I bought milk,” he murmured near her ear, and she smiled.

“I didn’t doubt,” she answered.

“And my mother will bring Noah home tomorrow morning.”

“Are you trying to seduce me?” she asked.

He nuzzled her neck for a moment before wrapping his arms around her and resting his hands on her stomach. “Is it working?”

“Always,” she said with a smile. “Sorry about the Stone comment.”

“Who cares about Stone?” he scoffed, and she could hear the amusement in his voice. “He might have my job but he can’t replace me as your live-in cabana boy.”

She laughed, turning her head toward him. He kissed her nose and smiled. “No, your role here is safe,” she murmured, studying his face. “Who’d you talk to?”

“Rollins,” he said. “She gave me the gist of what you had to deal with today.” He kissed her forehead, and her cheek, and finally her lips, and she settled her hands over his on her stomach. “I thought you could use a little—”

“Fluff?”

“Exactly,” he said, his lips quirking. “So I’ve got the cheesiest romance I could find all queued up, your two and a half scoops of ice cream are melting in root beer, and I happen to be an expert at seasoning popcorn with the perfect amount of butter and salt.”

“You are, I’ll give you that,” she said. She eyed the bowl on the table, which contained enough popcorn for four people. “But why didn’t you make yourself any?” she asked.

He chuckled, burying his nose in her hair as he kissed behind her ear. “Have a little mercy, I haven’t eaten in hours,” he said.

She sighed. “Fine, I’ll share,” she answered. “But only if you agree to make out with me.”

“After the floats?” he suggested, and she could hear his grin.

“Of course,” she laughed. “After the ice cream and popcorn.”

“When we’re so full we can hardly move?”

“And falling asleep because we’re hot—”

“You’re hot.”

“—and cozy and full.”

“Mm,” he said, kissing her head again. “That’s the best time to make out.”

“Yeah. You can just slide your lips around on mine—”

“And there’s no pressure to perform.”

“Right, because we’ll both be asleep before anything too strenuous starts.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Yeah.” She tipped her head so she could see his face. “Perfect. Like you.”

His lips tipped up at a corner—a self-deprecating smile. “I don’t know about perfect,” he said, “but I do my best.”


End file.
